Sound familiar? It's a troublesome trend that is likely happening in your firm right now. Despite the belief that their strategic plan is "ready to go," corporate leaders are discovering that their best-laid plans are not producing expected results.

Think this situation doesn't apply to you? Think again.

Consider the strategic plan from a CEO's perspective.

• The company has a good product.

• Talented people are in key positions.

• Performers have solid processes to achieve objectives.

Given this short list, many CEO's assume that expected results will follow. The plan is good. Now the performers only need to band together to hit the margin objectives. But unforeseen blind spots and inadequate execution join forces to undermine the carefully crafted plan, which does not survive its clash with reality.

How does this happen? Let's identify some of the critical factors that, when not uncovered and addressed, create obstacles which slow progress and prevent achieving objectives.

• Blind Spots - Corporate leaders of today face challenges unheard of 10-20 years ago. Given today's global business environment, with the scope and pace of information, it is not possible for the CEO or executive team to be plugged into each critical factor necessary for their plan to succeed. Additionally, tactics that were successful even 6-18 months ago might be counterproductive today.

• Change Fatigue - Field Generals, those mid-level executives who are charged
  Will Resume Blasting BLAST Your Job Search?
  The only honest answer is that it might.There are two common questions when it comes to resume distribution: Should I post my resume to job sites? Should I blast my resume to recruiters? Yes, and yes. But only as a small part of a broader strategy that doesn't depend on shooting your resume out to the world, and then waiting for the phone to ring.Let's talk in more detail about blasting for a moment.Resume blasting has gotten a bad rap, mostly for two reasons.
  now. Despite the belief that their strategic plan is "ready to go," corporate leaders are discovering that their best-laid plans are not producing expected results.

  Think this situation doesn't apply to you? Think again.

  Consider the strategic plan from a CEO's perspective.

  • The company has a good product.

  • Talented people are in key positions.

  • Performers have solid processes to achieve objectives.

  Given this short list, many CEO's assume that expected results will follow. The plan is good. Now the performers only need to band together to hit the margin objectives. But unforeseen blind spots and inadequate execution join forces to undermine the carefully crafted plan, which does not survive its clash with reality.

  How does this happen? Let's identify some of the critical factors that, when not uncovered and addressed, create obstacles which slow progress and prevent achieving objectives.

  • Blind Spots - Corporate leaders of today face challenges unheard of 10-20 years ago. Given today's global business environment, with the scope and pace of information, it is not possible for the CEO or executive team to be plugged into each critical factor necessary for their plan to succeed. Additionally, tactics that were successful even 6-18 months ago might be counterproductive today.

  • Change Fatigue - Field Generals, those mid-level executives who are charge
    8 Direct Mail Secrets for a Higher Response Rate
    To be successful with direct mail sales letters, there are several strategies you can use to increase response rates:1. At the top of your sales letter, use a strong headline that states the most important benefit you are offering. This headline should be bold and a larger font size than the font size you use for the body text in your sales letter.2. When writing your sales letter, use a friendly conversational style. Do not try to write "corporate" where you use large words and try to impress your prospects w
    e in key positions.

  • Performers have solid processes to achieve objectives.

  Given this short list, many CEO's assume that expected results will follow. The plan is good. Now the performers only need to band together to hit the margin objectives. But unforeseen blind spots and inadequate execution join forces to undermine the carefully crafted plan, which does not survive its clash with reality.

  How does this happen? Let's identify some of the critical factors that, when not uncovered and addressed, create obstacles which slow progress and prevent achieving objectives.

  • Blind Spots - Corporate leaders of today face challenges unheard of 10-20 years ago. Given today's global business environment, with the scope and pace of information, it is not possible for the CEO or executive team to be plugged into each critical factor necessary for their plan to succeed. Additionally, tactics that were successful even 6-18 months ago might be counterproductive today.

  • Change Fatigue - Field Generals, those mid-level executives who are charge
    How To Get The Best Out Of Your Phone
    When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, little did he realise the positive effect it would have on customer service – or the negative effect it could also have!Yes, the telephone can be a great tool in helping to provide exceptional customer service but it can also quickly destroy a customer’s perception of your service. What steps can you take to ensure that, whenever you or your staff use the phone, it adds something positive to the customer experience?Here are some ideas.Answer Promptly
    ed plan, which does not survive its clash with reality.

    How does this happen? Let's identify some of the critical factors that, when not uncovered and addressed, create obstacles which slow progress and prevent achieving objectives.

    • Blind Spots - Corporate leaders of today face challenges unheard of 10-20 years ago. Given today's global business environment, with the scope and pace of information, it is not possible for the CEO or executive team to be plugged into each critical factor necessary for their plan to succeed. Additionally, tactics that were successful even 6-18 months ago might be counterproductive today.

    • Change Fatigue - Field Generals, those mid-level executives who are charge
      Employment Strikes Cause Increases in Raw Material Costs
      Some people may not realize how disruptive to our civilization that labor strikes can be. When unions take advantage of strikes in order to get more than their productivity warrants they are indeed throwing a wrench in the entire Global System.When a strike occurs at General Motors then they slow production and cause issues with supply to consumers, this artificially temporarily raises the prices and causes less sales and therefore less work need bother to return to work. The temporary shortfall also causes increased
      siness environment, with the scope and pace of information, it is not possible for the CEO or executive team to be plugged into each critical factor necessary for their plan to succeed. Additionally, tactics that were successful even 6-18 months ago might be counterproductive today.

    • Change Fatigue - Field Generals, those mid-level executives who are charged with putting the CEO approved plan into action, have it equally as rough. They also are dealing with conditions they have not faced before. And they are often tired, scared and frustrated. They are worn out dealing with the frequent change in objectives, policies and execution processes. These changes, attempting to deal with the plan's clash with reality, are all too often unsuccessful, adding to the frustration levels.

    • Not Understanding Field Reality - Unless these changes are generated from an understanding of the current field reality, critical obstacles to execution remain uncovered and cannot be successfully addressed.

    When the strategic plan is on target but it is not achieving expected results, the problem is in the execution.

    Tactical solutions are always simple, always right in front of you. But when working from a 50,000 foot perspective, and dealing with conditions you haven't navigated through before, it is not possible to figure it out on your own.

    In today's business environment, it is only through multiple avenues of collaboration that your tactical solutions emerge.

    Internal Tactics

    • Create and sustain relationships with multiple sources that are in position to see the reality of a situation: trusted peers, direct reports and field generals.

    • Develop avenues of communication that horizontally and vertically convey timely, accurate reports of the field realit